Railroad-tie.



H. G. HOUGHTON.

RAILROAD TIE.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.II. 1915.

1,160,174. I Patented Nov. 16 1915.

WITNESSES; x/ INVENTOR.

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RAILROAD-TIE.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, L915.

Applicaticnfiled August 11, 1915. Serial No. 45,029.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HonA'rIo G. Honorr TON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Green Bay, in the county of Brown and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Ties, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyin drawing.

The present invention comprises an im provement upon the organizations shown in my pending applications, No. 4091 filed July 20th, 1915, and No. Q2373, filed July 28th, 1915, which disclose and claim a railroad tie of the general character herein de scribed. The claims in this application are limited to such improvement, or detailed structure and arrangement, any broader subject matter that may beread upon the railroad tie herein disclosed, being claimed, or to be claimed, in said applications Serial Nos. $09M and This invention relates to improvements in railroad ties, the principal object of my invention being to provide a tie composed of material that is practically indestructible, combined with detachable end blocks composed of fibrous material for absorbing the shocks and providing flexibility to the tie.

A further object of my invention is to provide a tie with shock absorbing ends that may be quickly and readily detached and replaced with new ends without disturbing the tie proper and without making it necessary to replace the entire tie.

With these and other'objects in View, this invention consists of certain novel combinations, constructions and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved tie, showing the shock absorbing ends secured thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my improved tie, with the shock absorbing ends removed. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a shock absorbing end block. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a metal box, adapted to be slipped over the ends of the tie proper and inclose the shock absorbing blocks. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view in elevation of my tie complete, showing the rails thereon.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, 1 represents the tie proper, which is molded of some suitable reinforced plastic material, preferably concrete and square in section.

The ends 2 of the block 1 are molded so as to be smaller in section than the center portion of the tie, so as to form shoulders 3 thereon. The tie is preferably hollow, having a longitudinal hole l therethrough.

Blocks 5, adapted to form a bed for the rails and to which they are attached are composed of some suitable fibrous material, preferably wood, which has been previously treated by the creosote process for preserving, and being an excellent shock absorber as well as providing flexibility will prevent any excessive shock being transmitted to the tie block 1.

Metal end boxes 6, having one end 7 thereof open are adapted to slip overthe blocks 5 and on to the ends of the tie 1 up against the shoulders 3 thereof. A transverse 0pen ing 8 across the upper face of the metal box 6 is of a width to allow the rails to rest centrally across and upon the upper face 9 of the inclosed wooden block 5.

Tie bolts 10 screw threaded at each end are adapted to pass longitudinally through the end metal boxes 6, blcclrs 4i and tie 1, the threaded ends of the bolts projecting out past the face of each end box 6 sufficiently to allow nuts 11 to be screwed thereon.

It will be seen that when the metal boxes 6 are drawn snugly up against the shoulders 3 of the tie 1 by means of the tie bolts 10, the blocks 1 being inclosed therein and abutting the ends 2 of the tie 1, the several parts will be bound securely together, forming the combination in a substantial one-piece construction. The metal box 6 will form an efiicient protector for the blocks 5, thus prolonging the life of the same.

When it becomes necessary to renew the blocks t the nuts 11 on the tie bolts 10 are removed, the metal boxes 6 may then be slid away from the block 1 enough to clear the ends 2, the inclosed block may then be removed and be replaced with new ones, the boxes 6 are again slipped on the ends 2 and the nuts 11 are again screwed on the bolts 10.

By this arrangement it will be seen that a very durable, flexible shock absorbing tie has been produced and that the renewing of the end rail bed blocks 5 can be quickly and cheaply accomplished.

Various changes in the form proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of block, composed of plastic material, shock absorbing means composed of a fibrous material adapted to form a bed for the rails disposed adjacent the ends of said block, means adapted to inclose said shock absorbing means provided with transverse openings for the purpose of exposing a portion of the said inclosed shock absorbing means Whereon the rails are laid, said inclosing means adapted to have a portion thereof slipped over the ends of said block, and a plurality of tie bolts for longitudinally joining the said parts together.

3. A tie comprising a rectangular holloW block composed of plastic material having ends of smaller section than the center portion of the block so as to form shoulders thereon, shock absorbing rail bed blockJs composed of a fibrous material adapted to abut the ends of said rectangular block, metal end boxesadapted tocontain said shock absorbing blocks provided with transverse openings adapted to expose a portion of the inclosed block for the purpose of forming a bed for the rails, said metal box adapted to be slipped on to the ends of the rectangular block and against the shoulders, thereof, and a plurality of tie bolts for securely joining the several parts together.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

HORATIO G. HOUGHTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

